Appliance for uncoupling railway-cars.



Patented Mar. 25, |902. J. WILUSUN. APPLIANCE FOR UNGOUPLING RAILWAY GARS.

(Application led July 13, 1901.\

3 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

WITNESSES THE Nonms ps1-zas co. PHoToALITn-xmwnmm'ox,

No. 696,386. y Patented Mar. 25, |902.

J. WILLISON.

APPLIANCE FU UNCDUPLING RAILWAY GARS.

(Applimtion led July 13, 1901.) (No, Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

INVENTOR No. 696,386. Y Patented Mar. 25, 4902.

- J. wlLusoN.

APPLIANCE FOR UNCOUPLING RAILWAY CARS.

(Application filed July 13, 1901.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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UNITED STATES ATnT union.

JOHN VVILLISON, OF DERBY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO TI-IENATIONAL MALLEABLE CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPO-o RATION OF OHIO.

APPLIANCE FOR UNCOUPLING RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming para of Letters Patent No. 696,386, dated March 25, 1902 Application tiled July 13,1901. Serial No. 68,261. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t nca/y concern:

Be it known that I, J oHN WILLIsoN, pattern-maker, a citizen of England, residing at No. 1 Olney Villas, Clarence road, Derby, in the county of Derby, England, have invented a certain new and useful Appliance for Uncoupling RailwayCars, (for which I have made application for a patent in Great Britain, No. 23,029, dated December 17, 1900,) of which the following is a specification.

Many automatic couplers for railway-cars are provided with a sliding piece by pulling which outward the lock that holds the knuckle is released, leaving the kunckle free to turn outward, so as to become uncoupled from the knuckle of the next car. My invention relates to means of eieeling this uneoupling from either side of the cars wit-hout requiring a workman to go between the ends of the cars, as I shall describe, referring to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is an elevation, and Fig. 2' is a plan, of the end of a car-frame, showing an automatic coupler and the appliance according to my invention for uncoupling. Figs. 3 and Il are side views of the slotted lever and rack in two positions of the lever.

Ct isthe automatic coupler, having its knuckle shown in coupled position.

o is the eye at the end of the sliding piece by which release of the internal lock is effected. To the eye b is hooked the end of a rod c, the

other end of which has fixed on it a rack d,

with teeth of the shape shown along its under side.

On the end frame of the car at each side just outside the buffers are pivoted two levers e andy", which are connected by a rod r linking a hook 7L above the pivot of lever e to an eye k below the pivot of lever f, this connection being such that when either lever c orf is pulled outward the other is also moved outward and when either is pushed inward the other also is pushed inward. The lever chas a vertical slot the bottom of which is shaped so as to present a rounded tooth Z at its outer edge. In this slot lies the rack d, the teeth of which rest on the bottom of the slot, free to move to and fro upon it so long as the le-l ver e remains upright. Thus while the cars are coupled the coupler ct is free to swing laterally or to take positions more or less out of center in either direction as the cars run on curves ofthe track, the levers e and f remaining in their vertical position. Vhen it is desired to uncouple the cars, the workman pulls the lever e outward, either directly or by pullingfoutward, thereby bringing the leverinto au inclined position, as shown in Fig. Il, in which position the tooth Z at the edge of the slot engages one or other of the teeth of the rack d, and then by a further pull of e orf the sliding piece having the eye b is pulled, releasing the internal lock and leaving the knuckle of the coupler free to open outward. When the lever c is returned to its vertical attitude, either by moving it directly or by moviugfinward, the tooth of the rack d is disengaged from the tooth Z, leaving the rod c and the eye b free. It then the car meets another, its coupler-knuckle is pushed in by and engaged with that of the other car and becomes automatically locked, the sliding piece of which, I), is the eye being moved inward by the action of the knuckle.

Besides the tooth l the bottom of the slot has another tooth m, which can engage a tooth of the rack d when either lever e orfis pushed inward from its vertical position. This can be done if the lock of the coupler happens to have been released while the knuckle is in its coupling position, so that the knuckle is locked again without having to be moved from its coupled position.

It will be seen that the rod c being freely engaged in the slot allows the coupler ct to move not only laterally, but also longitudinally, in obedience to the drawing or bu'liing action.

Having thus described the nature of this invention and the bestv means I know of carrying the same into practical eect, I claim-- 1. In combination with the sliding piece by which the lock of an automatic coupler is released, a rod hooked to the said piece and having a rack on its end passed through a slot of a lever which is pivoted on the outer part of the end frame ot' the car, the said slot having at the edge of its bottom, teeth adapted to engage the rack when the lever is moved IOO from the vertical position, snbstan tially as de# scribed.

2. In combination with the sliding piece by which the look of an automatic coupler is released, a rod hooked to the said piece and having a rack onits end passed througha slot of a lever which is pivoted on the outer part of the end frame of the car, the said slot having at the edge of its bottom, teeth adapted to engage the rack when the lever is moved from the vertical position, and a second lever pivoted on the outer part of the end frame of the car at its opposite side and connected to the slotted lever by a rod linking an eye below the pivot of the second lever to a hook above the pivot of the slotted lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In unooupling apparatus, a longitudinally-movable link connected to the knucklelook, and a lever pivoted 'to the oar and a1'- ranged to engage and move the link in oer tain positions, the link moving relatively to the lever when the latter is in its normal position; substantially as described.

4. In unoouplingapparatus,anuncouplinglink, a pair of uncoupling-levers pivoted to opposite sides of the car and connected together, and a detachable connection between the link and one 4of said levers, said oonnection being arranged to be made or broken by swinging the levers; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subsoribingwitnesses.

JOHN VVILLISON.

Vitnesses: y

J. HEATH, H. RHODES. 

